Why I Am Not A Manager

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 473.

Here's what you get: pressure from above and resentment from below. Who needs it?

In 1997, reports the labor department, there were 18 million executives, managers and administrators in the United States. I am not one of them. I have never “managed” anyone or anything. No one works for me or is supervised by me.

All this may explain why I have a certain respect for managers. I am obviously unfit to do whatever it is they do. What I cannot understand is why people want to be managers. Of course, some rewards are tempting: power, money, status and (possibly) the respect of co-workers. But the drawbacks seem as plain: resentment from below; pressure from above; loud criticism of failures; silence over successes. No thanks.

Now, “manager” is a marvelously elastic title. It covers a lot of ground: CEOs (chief executive officers), plant managers, school principals, managers at supermarkets. Almost half of all managers now (44 percent) are women, says the Labor Department. In 1997, it counted 711,000 marketing and advertising managers, 535,000 building and real-estate managers, 108,000 personnel managers. But along the spectrum of pay and power, many managers face two contradictory demands.

First, they're supposed to get results – to maximize profits.

Second, they've got to motivate or manipulate their workers. If workers do poorly, the organization suffers. They're supposed to be sensitive to workers' problems and “feelings”.

The almost-universal task of managers today, in our culture, is to serve twin masters, each of whom has grown more demanding. There's the Organisation with its imperatives; and there's the Individual – each with “needs”. This is a tough job, and somebody's got to do it. But not me.

C. Suggest some interesting answers to these questions:

1. According to the article, in 1997 there were 18 million executives, managers and administrators in the USA. Do you think in Russia there were as many managers as in the USA?

2. According to the article, half of all managers (44%) are women. Does this number surprise you? Why or why not?

3. The author thinks that many managers face two demands: to get results (or to maximize profits) and to motivate their workers. Why are they contradictory?

4. Do you find the rewards of a manager really tempting?

5. Are there any ways to succeed in spite of the drawbacks?